One month after controversial election, Venezuelan opposition gathers in Caracas | Election news

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says President Nicolás Maduro is “more isolated” after the election.

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have taken to the streets to revive protests against him as he consolidates his hold on power following last month's disputed election.

Wednesday's demonstration in the capital Caracas took place a month after the heated vote on July 28, in which Maduro was declared the winner despite protests from opposition candidate Edmundo González and international criticism of the vote's lack of transparency.

Wednesday's protest was smaller than previous demonstrations, with groups of Venezuelans also gathering in other Latin American capitals.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who like Gonzalez went into hiding after the election, resurfaced on Wednesday to attend the rally, waving a Venezuelan flag and hugging young children from the back of a truck as her supporters chanted “freedom.”

Banned from running against Maduro, the conservative politician spent weeks traveling across the country to help elect González, a previously little-known former diplomat.

Machado is aware of the huge challenge of ousting Maduro. She said the movement she leads will be strategic and call for more demonstrations. But she said international pressure on Maduro is unlikely to ease anytime soon.

“Those who say that the passage of time is in Maduro's favor are wrong,” Machado told the crowds of his supporters who filled a street in Caracas. “Every day he is more isolated, more toxic.”

Opposition politician Biaggio Pilieri was arrested following the protests on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported.

The opposition's battle cry has been heard repeatedly during weeks of demonstrations, but so far it has failed to remove Maduro from office. Opponents demanded that the authorities publish the results from all polling stations, which they believe would expose Maduro's attempts to rig the election.

“Election results nullify verdict” is how the opposition described the latest protest, referring to thousands of ballots it had collected and posted online that contradict a recent ruling by the loyalist Supreme Court that confirmed Maduro's supposed victory.

Maduro's supporters also planned to hold their own rallies on Wednesday and promised to “defend” his victory against what they believe is an intentional attempt to sow unrest in the South American country.

Al Jazeera's Alessandro Rampietti reported from neighboring Colombia that the Venezuelan opposition had found it “increasingly difficult” to organize large rallies due to the government's crackdown and arrest campaign against activists.

“One has the feeling that the hope for a major mobilization of the population against the Maduro regime is slowly fading,” said Rampietti.

According to the human rights group Foro Penal, about 1,780 people are being held as political prisoners in Venezuela.

Madura has defied international calls, including those from left-wing politicians in South America, to announce the election results or hold new elections.

Instead, he reshuffled his cabinet earlier this week, promoting close aide to key government positions.

Maduro came to power in 2013 after the death of left-wing politician Hugo Chávez. His term in office was marked by economic and political crises and accusations of authoritarian rule.

In 2019, the United States and several of its allies in the Western Hemisphere recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela.

That same year, Washington expanded comprehensive sanctions against Caracas, exacerbating Venezuela's economic situation, causing millions of people to leave the country.

Last month's elections offered the opposition hope of peacefully overthrowing Maduro, but the incumbent quickly declared victory, claiming he had received 51 percent of the vote. The country's electoral authorities have sided with Maduro.

But the opposition released its own results and declared that González won by a large margin.